Rust and CA glue on my lathe

[James Biddle]

I guess I should have been able to deduce that leaving the chips from a new cherry blank on the lathe ways for a couple of days would rust them... but I didn't. [Background: I first got a little rust on the ways before I coated them and before I added heat to the garage. After cleaning and coating them with Boeshield T9, I got another surface coat of rust from letting the temp in garage fluctuate through the dew point (wow, today the DP is 47) because I turned the heat on and off. Then I cleaned and coated the ways with Rennaissance Wax, which I've had great luck with on my basement tools.]

Today I discovered the rust under the chips. So, after cleaning and coating the ways with Boeshield T9 and Rennaissance Wax, keeping the heat above 50, and blowing off the chips each session, should I expect the rust to stay away? Or am I dreaming?

Also, I got a couple of drops of CA glue on the ways. What's the best way to remove them?

[robert hainstock]

I use a product called "Breakfree" to penetrate and loosen rust. I would use three 000 steel wool to remove the ca first. And for the gut who doen't want to use seel wool, I'd try one of those green 3M scrubby pads. On my lathe I use 320 grit wet or dry and light oil.
Lotsa luck.:eek::eek::eek:
Bob

[Paul Heely]

I use a razor blade to pop off any CA that I've gotten on the ways.

[Justin Bukoski]

you can also get some debonder to remove ca glue

[Dale Gregory]

I'd be interested in the "keeping the rust off the ways" as my shop is a bit cramped and would like to move it to the barn this summer. I plan to build a room inside the one half of the barn that has a concrete floor. I've been told that I will need to build an elevated wood floor and heat it if I want to have any chance of keeping rust from forming. Anyone have a solution for this?

Dale

[Richard Madison]

Dale,
The logic of building a wood floor on top of a perfectly good concrete floor escapes me. But it would certainly be good to heat the shop, if only to the extent of keeping the temperature above the dew point to prevent moisture condensation on your tools. The three most important considerations in shop construction are insulation, insulation, and (would you believe) insulation. Well, not really, but you get the idea. If you can do 5-1/2" of ordinary fiberglass insulation in the walls and 9" or more in the ceiling, it will cost almost nothing to keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

[Richard Madison]

James,
When doing wet wood (especially oak) I spray a layer of T9 and put plastic over that. With oak some of it still manages to leak around the edges and make nasty stains.

[Dick Strauss]

James,
My lathe sits in the unheated/uncooled garage all year long here in NW OH. I rarely have to clean it but do use WD40 and 0000 steel wool as needed (especially after wet walnut or oak).

[Johnathan Bussom]

James,
Here in Pennsylvania I have had very little problem with rust with most of my tools in my unheated garage, I do use Johnsons paste wax occasionally mostly because of running some not so dry wood on the jointer or through the planer, pine expecially will get ya!

This past spring I used a product called Penetrol and it did a super job on cleaning and preserving so far, don't remember putting wax on at all the rest of the year.

As for the ca glue I agree with the use of a razor blade, my mini lathe in the basement takes real abuse from ca, stain and polyu, moisture there most of the year too!

[Gregg Feldstone]

I live on an Island off the southern coast of Texas and it got up to 75 deg. today. The humidity is usually close to 100%. I have to clean rust every three days to keep it away completly or weekly to keep it under control. I did just discover that the material on scotch brite pads will actually adhere to the hooks on the pad of my orbital sander. I spray empire mfg's Topsaver and than "sand" the iron tabletop of my tablesaw,bandsaw...etc. This has achieved the same result in 1/100th the time it took to do it by hand and saves my arms and hands. The slurry does not seem to migrate up to the pad, but I am looking for thicker pads to avoid this possible problem.
I am left with a near mirror finish and no scratch marks.
Does anyone know if polishing iron surfaces will keep the rust away longer?